Sterile containers, also referred to as sterilization containers, with lower container parts and upper container parts of the kind described at the outset are known in manifold forms. They serve in a known manner, in particular, for germ-free storage of previously cleaned and sterilized surgical instruments and implants. Sealing cords, sealing lips and similar sealing elements made of silicone, silicone foams and similar materials are mainly used as sealing elements. The partly only poor compression variability of these known sealing elements, which ensures sealing in only a small, defined distance range of the geometries of lower container part and upper container part that are to be sealed off relative to one another, is problematic.
Sterile containers that are in permanent use age. Firstly, the sealing element itself is subject to aging processes. In particular, it may wear and partly or completely lose its elasticity. Furthermore, troughs defining lower container parts or lids of the sterile containers defining upper container parts may become warped or bent as a result of knocks and blows. The originally defined distances in the region of the sealing element between upper container part and lower container part are thereby changed. Depending on the sealing element used, leakages may then occur on the container, as a result of which germ-proof sealing of the sterile container is no longer ensured.
Furthermore, the aging of rubber-elastic sealing materials leads to a time limit for use of such known sealing elements, and, consequently, after the sterile container has been in operation for several years, it is not possible to assess the state of the sealing element with certainty or only with great difficulty.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a lower container part, an upper container part and a sterile container which ensure a permanent germ-proof sealing of the sterile container in the closed position.